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DAR Sports: Greatest Moments of 2016

Sports is universally loved. From the NBA to the NFL to the world of baseball, we watch these games intently hoping to witness magic every time, and sometimes we are gifted with moments that'll live forever. This year feels like one of those years we won't ever forget. Today, as the year winds down, we look at the greatest sports moments of the year.

*Alabama Beats Clemson In College Football Playoffs Final

-The Tide keeps rolling. Nick Saban's team kicked off our sports year with a huge victory in a highly competitive game over Clemson with a big 45-40 win. Saban and the Tide were no strangers to championships, as this was the fourth title won in the Saban era.

*Broncos Win Super Bowl 50, Peyton Goes Out On Top

-Peyton Manning had a horrible season statistically and we could clearly see that he wasn't the same player we knew and loved for so many years. However, somehow the Broncos managed to get to the playoffs and the Super Bowl, and with the MVP Cam Newton and 15-1 Carolina Panthers staring them down, many predicted the Broncos would be defeated. The Broncos and Peyton pulled out the victory and Peyton would go out on top, retiring as a Super Bowl champion.

*NBA Dunk Contest Amazes The Fans

-Zach Lavine and Aaron Gordon aren't going to likely be future MVP candidates for their teams (though you never know). However, what they are able to do is perform some of the most amazing dunks we've ever seen. They went toe to toe in the dunk contest and while many feel Gordon deserved the win, Lavine walked away with the crown for the second year in a row.

*Chicago Cubs Win World Series, Break Title Drought

-Cleveland Indians vs Chicago Cubs. World Series. That alone was a huge story. The Indians took a 3-1 series lead. That was a bigger story. The Cubs came back from the 3-1 deficit to finally break the Cubs championship curse in an epic 7 game series that would see a game 7 go into extra innings. It was literally a movie manifesting in the real sports world. It's still surreal.

-UNC was a tough team to beat. As the game winded down to the final seconds, Kris Jenkins got ready to take one final shot to win the game. Many expected the game to head to OT and it looked that way, but a huge final seconds three pointer from Jenkins won the game and title for Villanova in one of the greatest College Basketball moments ever.

*Kobe Bryant Retires With A Win And 60 Points In His Final Game

-The final season of Kobe was oddly enough one of the most entertaining and most watched. Kobe seemed to be battling injuries and fatigue after 20 seasons of playing so hard, and the season was a bit tough to watch, though he showed small glimpses of brilliance. The greatest moment of the season however? Kobe putting up 60 against the Utah Jazz in his final game. He was magnificent with a performance unlike any other. He led his team back in the game with a masterful 4th quarter and the Lakers won in his final game. Kobe went out the way we wanted to see him go out.

-All 3-1 lead jokes aside (go ahead and get it out now), there was no player better in the 2015-2016 NBA regular season than Stephen Curry. To deny that would be ridiculous. Steph was breaking records, winning scoring titles, and earning the first ever Unanimous MVP award in NBA history. That in itself is a big deal. Add in all the great moments over the season and the wondrous year of Steph was amazing.

-Keeping in line with the year Steph had, he led the Warriors to a great 73-9 record, breaking the old 72-10 record that the Bulls had set in 1996. This was a huge feat that would be the biggest story if the Warriors had won the championship, however....*Cleveland Cavaliers Come Back From 3-1 Deficit, Win NBA Title

-The Cavaliers were down 3-1, and after some game 4 fuckery, the momentum had shifted into the favor of the Cavs instantly. After some key injuries to the Warriors and momentum shift for LeBron and Kyrie, the Cavs showed up and came back from a deficit that'd never been done before in the NBA Finals to help secure the title for Cleveland. Make no mistake, the Cavaliers came back from 3-1 as a team to win the title. LeBron had the biggest hand in that along with Kyrie, but it took the whole team defensively to pull that off.

*Serena Williams Wins Wimbledon, Her 22nd Major Title

-There's not been a more dominant athlete than Serena Williams. Her sign of black excellence was truly solidified as she won the 22nd major title of her career, winning Wimbledon this year. Her easy victory over Angelique Kerber led her to make more history. Serena deserves all her accolades.

*Kevin Durant Signs With Golden State Warriors, Leaves OKC

-After the Golden State Warriors came back from being down 3-1 to win the Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, many awaited Kevin Durant and his free agency decision. To many people's shock (not necessarily mine), KD signed with the Warriors, the same team that put out the Thunder in the playoffs. It was a huge signing that signaled the Warriors were now THE superteam of the NBA, and it made this NBA season one to watch.

*Stephen Curry Hits 13 Three Pointers, Breaks Record

-After a game where Steph Curry missed 10 threes and made zero, he responded how many would expect a great player to: by breaking the single game record for 3 pointers made. He was tied for the record previously with 12, but broke the record with 13 against the Pelicans in a game where he finished with his season high 46 points. Still an elite player, Steph has taken a slight backseat to KD, but he has moments like this still.

*Russell Westbrook Goes On Triple Double Streak

-We knew Russ would go on a tear at some point this year, and he's been on a frenzy with over 13 triple doubles in less than 30 games so far this season, including a 50 point triple double performance. Could Russ finish this season with over 25-30 triple doubles? It is possible, as he put up 7 triple doubles in a row, getting very close to breaking the record set. Whatever the case may be, the most exciting player to watch this year?? Russell Westbrook. Hands down. If he finishes the season averaging a triple double and gets his team to the playoffs with a decent seed, he will certainly be a front runner for MVP.

*Klay Thompson Goes For 60 In 3 Quarters

-The Warriors are the best team in the NBA. I don't think that's debatable. With the signing of KD, many wonder if Klay Thompson would take a backseat to him and Steph. Klay has had other ideas, as he's taking MORE shots this season, and he's making them, averaging over 21 points a game this season and this particular performance against the Pacers, where he scored a career high 60 points was absolutely amazing to witness. Klay was hitting damn near every shot he took, and when he has one of those nights you just keep feeding him the rock and that's what the team did. This is certainly of the best performances of the year, and possibly the best.

*Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott Change The Cowboys' Fortune

-This year saw many thinking Tony Romo could lead the Cowboys to a 8-8/9-7 season with that amazing offensive line and Ezekiel Elliott as a running back. There was also a feeling of uncertainty for the Cowboys in terms of how they would fare, but when Romo went down, there was a slight bit of panic. Enter in Dak Prescott. The Cowboys went 11 straight games with a win, Dak emerged as a possible MVP candidate, and Ezekiel Elliott has had a masterful season that will easily end with him winning Rookie Of The Year. The Cowboys look to take the no. 1 seed in the NFC and have a great shot at doing so. If anything, that is certainly the biggest story of the NFL this season without a doubt.

There's a lot of moments this year that were amazing like Craig Sager working his first NBA Finals (RIP), the emergence of the Raiders and more, but these moments that are listed are the best of the year. Let's reflect and enjoy.